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Chavez Recall Effort
Is Finally Finished

By

Joseph Schuman The Wall Street Journal Online

Updated Aug. 16, 2004 4:53 p.m. ET

The robust opposition to President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela is unlikely to fade away anytime soon, but the long effort to force him from power through a recall referendum is over. Mr. Chavez today celebrated victory after election authorities said he was leading by a large margin with most of Sunday's votes counted. Opposition leaders cried fraud, but international election observers endorsed the results. What remains to be seen is whether the country's political turbulence will continue to stress world oil markets.